Coming from Korea with no proof of funds?

I’m an American heading to Taiwan from Korea at the end of this month. My school here bought me a one way ticket to Taipei, and I purchased a refundable return ticket, but I’m starting to think that due to my complicated financial situation I am not eligible for a 60 day tourist visa.

At the end of this month, 2 days before I head to Taiwan, I’ll be paid over 4,000,000 Korean won (this is about $3,300 USD) in accordance with my gov’t contract. This will be deposited into my Korean bank account, which currently contains about $1,000, and I will take all the money out immediately, buy US dollars, and take them to Taiwan. Then, 2-3 weeks later I’ll have another 2,000,000 ($1,700) deposited into my American savings account from my pension.

How do I convey this in order to get a visa? Obviously I’ll have the sufficient funds and then some, but no way to prove it in accordance with the Taiwan visa regulations. I don’t have online banking in English here, and even if I could muster up enough Korean to obtain a bank statement in person, it wouldn’t show the funds in time for me to go through the visa process.

Should I just come on a landing visa and plan a run? Trekking to the Taiwan “consulate” is a bit of a costly pain in the arse as it is, and it seems like there would be no way for me to get the 60 day anyway…

[quote=“nicam”]I’m an American heading to Taiwan from Korea at the end of this month. My school here bought me a one way ticket to Taipei, and I purchased a refundable return ticket, but I’m starting to think that due to my complicated financial situation I am not eligible for a 60 day tourist visa.

At the end of this month, 2 days before I head to Taiwan, I’ll be paid over 4,000,000 Korean won (this is about $3,300 USD) in accordance with my gov’t contract. This will be deposited into my Korean bank account, which currently contains about $1,000, and I will take all the money out immediately, buy US dollars, and take them to Taiwan. Then, 2-3 weeks later I’ll have another 2,000,000 ($1,700) deposited into my American savings account from my pension.

How do I convey this in order to get a visa? Obviously I’ll have the sufficient funds and then some, but no way to prove it in accordance with the Taiwan visa regulations. I don’t have online banking in English here, and even if I could muster up enough Korean to obtain a bank statement in person, it wouldn’t show the funds in time for me to go through the visa process.

Should I just come on a landing visa and plan a run? Trekking to the Taiwan “consulate” is a bit of a costly pain in the arse as it is, and it seems like there would be no way for me to get the 60 day anyway…[/quote]

Why not just arive on a landing visa… get your ARC papaerwork and then convert that to an ARC.

I am in Korea now and they dont ask you anything on the way in here either like Taiwan. The Korean immigration officers comment to me was that he didnt think I looked Chinese enough when looking at my Taiwan passport.

call me on 010 8659 5597 if you have any questions

Good man Sat TV.

[quote]Why not just arive on a landing visa… get your ARC papaerwork and then convert that to an ARC.

I am in Korea now and they dont ask you anything on the way in here either like Taiwan. The Korean immigration officers comment to me was that he didnt think I looked Chinese enough when looking at my Taiwan passport.

call me on 010 8659 5597 if you have any questions[/quote]

So, I can convert a landing visa to an ARC after all? Sweet. Thanks Sat TV, you rock. Judging by your number it seems that we are in the same area (near Busan). Wish it would stop raining already so we could have a proper beach day.

[quote=“nicam”][quote]Why not just arive on a landing visa… get your ARC papaerwork and then convert that to an ARC.

I am in Korea now and they dont ask you anything on the way in here either like Taiwan. The Korean immigration officers comment to me was that he didnt think I looked Chinese enough when looking at my Taiwan passport.

call me on 010 8659 5597 if you have any questions[/quote]

So, I can convert a landing visa to an ARC after all? Sweet. Thanks Sat TV, you rock. Judging by your number it seems that we are in the same area (near Busan). Wish it would stop raining already so we could have a proper beach day.[/quote]

In Seoul last few days in Busan Friday Sat then to the islands after that. It’s a rental phone I picked up at the airport

Er, the last time I arrived in TW without a visa I was granted visa-free entry. I’ve never met anyone who was able to show me a ‘landing visa’ in their passport.

Visa free = no visa.

You can’t convert nothing into a residence permit. You need a visa to start with, which has to be applied for overseas. The rules may have changed, but you would be wise to confirm this before trusting me or anyone else.

The immigration website makes no mention of landing visas. It does say:

immigration.gov.tw//immig_en … .asp?id=16

[quote]How does a foreigner apply for a visa-exempt entry?

V. Notes:
Only 30 days can be available for a visa-exempt entry and it is not extendable.[/quote]

immigration.gov.tw//immig_en … .asp?id=15

[quote]How does a foreigner apply for a visitor visa extension?

II. Requirements:

  1. The applicant who holds at least 60-day visitor visa without a stamp of
    no-extension.[/quote]

immigration.gov.tw//immig_en … r.asp?id=9

[quote]How does a foreigner renew or apply for an ARC?

II. Required documents (verify the original and take its copy).

3. A passport with resident visa.[/quote]

There is no information on how to obtain a resident visa, naturally, but I’m pretty sure that if you turn up without any kind of visa whatsoever then you won’t get one.

EDIT: I found the bit where someone converted a VISA-EXEMPT ENTRY to a visitor visa, and then went on to apply for an ARC without doing a visa run. The answer to the OP’s question seems to be that it is possible to arrive without a visa and then obtain an ARC without leaving the country. There still appears to be no such thing as a landing visa, all the same.

SatTV is a Taiwan Citizen, not someone who has had to deal with the realities of being a foreigner in Taiwan in the recent past.

As this question, and the phrase ‘landing visa,’ seem to come up every other week, maybe someone could make a sticky dealing with this topic?

Ah yes I forgot that I wasnt a foreigner any more. Thanks for reminding me. :thumbsup:

However, I do keep up with these threads and recently somebody did post they changed a landing visa into an ARC for work. :whistle:

Ah yes I forgot that I wasnt a foreigner any more. Thanks for reminding me. :thumbsup:

However, I do keep up with these threads and recently somebody did post they changed a landing visa into an ARC for work. :whistle:[/quote]

How do you get a landing visa if you are from a country with visa exempt entry?

Ah yes I forgot that I wasn’t a foreigner any more. Thanks for reminding me. :thumbsup:

However, I do keep up with these threads and recently somebody did post they changed a landing visa into an ARC for work. :whistle:[/quote]

How do you get a landing visa if you are from a country with visa exempt entry?[/quote]

Same deal apparently butterycup… people arrive without a visa and got one at the airport.

Why would they do that? If you don’t need a visa then why would they give you one?

“Oh, I plan to find a job.”
“Well, fuck off then. That’s illegal.”

Will somebody please provide a link to a government website confirming the existence of the so-called landing visa? Until I see one in someone’s passport, or the appropriate authorities confirm that it really exists, I am refusing to believe there is any such thing.

Visa-free entry. Visitor Visa. Resident Visa. These I believe in. Landing Visas are a myth until proven otherwise.

Link, please.

Exactly what I meant. That would actually be a really good way to clamp down on illegal buxibanners, if the authorities ever wanted to do such a thing.

Landing visa is a visa free entry. That’s what it’s called.

From BOCA
http://www.boca.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1443&ctNode=116&mp=2
I assume that a teacher counts as a “white-collar professional”?

[quote]30 days , The 30 days’ duration of stay starts from the next day of arrival and is not extendable. Travelers must depart by the end of the said 30 days. Visa-exempt entry cannot be converted to other types of visas.

However, aliens entering the R.O.C. through visa-exemption may apply for a visitor visa within the visa-exemption period on the following conditions at the Bureau of Consular Affairs and branch offices of MOFA.

  1.  in case of severe acute diseases, natural disasters or other force majeure reasons, which hold them back from leaving the R.O.C.
    
  2.  white- collar professionals obtaining the work permit within. the visa-exemption period, plus their spouse and minors (under age 20) entering the R.O.C. together.[/quote]
    

As for the landing visa, apparently they do exist, but under very limited circumstances.
Also from BOCA http://www.boca.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1446&ctNode=116&mp=2

[quote]Countries eligible for Landing Visas :

  1. Holders of emergency or temporary passports with validity more than six months for nationals of those countries eligible for visa-exempt entry.
  2. Holders of USA passport with validity less than six months.

Requirements:

  1. a confirmed return air/sea ticket or an air/sea ticket and a visa for the next destination, and a confirmed seat reservation for departure.
  2. fill out an application form with one photo.
  3. visa fee of NT$ 1,600 (citizens of countries with reciprocal agreements shall be issued visas gratis) plus a handling fee of NT$ 800; For U.S. citizens: see remarks 2.
  4. no criminal record or not listed by the local authorities. [/quote]
    There you go.

Hey,
I’m planning on coming to Taiwan from Korea in your situation. How did it all pan out? Details please
duo shir
:smiley:

I know for a fact there is a visa desk in Taoyuan airport just before immigration. My experience with them is 2 years ago when I got a visa in Hong Kong they weren’t able to put the visa in my passport for some reason, so I took a receipt they stapled in my passport to that desk and they printed a visa for me. Also, there was a Canadian who got declined visa free and was paying for a visitor visa at that desk. I would imagine that the landing visa would be obtained there, although I’m not sure what rules they might have for that.

Visa free entry can be changed into a work ARC, but not the landing visa. The visa free is free , no charge while the landing visa costs money.

The landing visa is for people who would normally be entitled to visa free but who have passports with less then six months validity on them , or they are travelling on temporary documents, or they overstayed for a brief period and lost their visa free rights for sometime. It must be applied for on the spot and can be denied.

i am US citizen. i also would be coming from korea to taiwan. i am aware that i will get 30-day complimentary tourist visa on arrival. but i would like to acquire 60-day visitor visa before i leave korea. i do still have korean bank account here and US credit card for proof of sufficient funds. will i have problems purchasing my 60-day tourist visa to taiwan from embassy here? all helpful comments appreciated.

Sheesh the amount of mis information here is unbelievable. The amount of times I have had to correct his I can’t be bothered digging up the relevent links right now. Go to your local taiwan consulate and ask them.

  1. The rules are different for different people depending on what country you are from.

  2. “landing visa”, “visa exempt entry” and “visitor visa” mean different things to different people. Typically the “landing visa” is not what people think it is!!!

Without knowing which country you are from, the best advice that could be given would be to apply for a “visitor visa” which can be converted to an ARC.

What the Taiwan government calls a landing visa can not be converted to an ARC.

I have heard that it is possible to convert “visa exempt entry” to an ARC but it is not an official/documented process so I wouldn’t count on being able to do it.

Turns out I was irritated enough to go dig up the references. See this site, and this forumosa thread:

viewtopic.php?f=67&t=100508
boca.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=144 … e=116&mp=2

Note that the other thread has even more mis-information. Stick to reading the government site or just go to your local taiwan “consulate” and you will be fine.